


Not Guilty, Sir

by incogneat_oh



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Batdad, Gen, Underage Smoking, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-26 12:02:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12058608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incogneat_oh/pseuds/incogneat_oh
Summary: Robin smoked.





	Not Guilty, Sir

Jason sometimes thinks he might be a contradiction. As much as he likes kicking bad guys, he also likes quiet nights at home. And as much as he likes the freedom of crimefighting, of Robin, he loves being able to go to a school again (but that part he will never admit). He loves Bruce and he loves Batman, and he loves it when Alfred pokes fun at both of them.   
  
He likes fresh air almost as much as he likes cigarettes. Sometimes more. And tonight, he’s hunched on a rooftop, cigarette in one gloved hand. It’s the mildest Gotham weather gets, not too warm and not too cool. Too nice not to take a break toward the end of his patrol.  
  
An alarm beeps from his gauntlet, breaking the surprisingly peaceful silence. He takes a long drag and drops the cigarette, grinding it into the ground with the heel of his pixie-boot. Then he grins, diving off the building and into the night sky, and heads home.  
  
-  
  
“Robin.” Batman says, and it’s almost a greeting.   
  
Jay tilts back in his chair, grins up at his mentor standing behind him.  
  
“Your uniform smells oddly like cigarette smoke.” His tone is deceptively mild, but the boy isn’t fooled.  
  
Jason presses his lips together to stop from grinning too wide. “Well gosh, B,” he says, too innocent to be anything but guilty. “I was taking down this band of smoking ruffians, and I guess it musta stuck.”   
  
Batman leans forward, over the top of the chair. He face looms upside-down over Jason’s, blocking the overhead lights. He holds Jason’s nose with a calloused hand, says, “Exhale.”  
  
Jason gulps down a laugh, says, “I’m on the swimteam,” with as little breath as possible.  
  
“I’m aware.”  
  
Jason stares up, eyes glinting with amusement, meeting the white lenses of Batman’s cowl fearlessly. Bruce’s hand doesn’t shift.  
  
“…in some places they call this child abuse–” Jay starts, but he’s still trying not to grin.  
  
“You could just admit you smoked.”  
  
Jay wriggles out of Bruce’s grasp, laughing. Bruce lets him. “Where’s the fun?”   
  
Bruce grunts, tugging off the cowl and swivelling Jason’s chair to face him. “Consider this your warning,” he says darkly. “Those things will kill you.”  
  
Jason is the picture of childish innocence. Sweetly, he says, “So will being a vigilante.” Before Bruce can respond, Jason swings forward out of the chair, pressing a kiss to Bruce’s cheek. “Night, Pops!”

He takes advantage of Bruce’s momentary surprise to duck under his arm, and skips toward the stairs, his canary-yellow cape billowing out behind him. Midway, he turns back, waggles his eyebrows gleefully. “Get it, boss? I’m literally  _skipping_  the lecture!”   
  
Bruce just shakes his head, trying to hide his own grin. “Goodnight, Jason,” he says, trying to sound stern, but he knows it comes across too fond from the look the kid gives him, like he can’t quite believe his luck.   
  
Jason stands still for a minute, staring back, before he shakes his head as if to clear it and darts up the stairs. His grin is visible even from here.  
  
“Don’t forget to brush those nicotine-stained teeth, Jay,” Bruce calls after him.  
  
“Aye-aye,” Jay salutes him from the top of the stairs, then his eyes go wide. “Not that that was an admission of guilt!”   
  
“Of course not,” Bruce agrees, and can hear the kid’s laughter echoing long after he’s left the cave.   
  
-END-

**Author's Note:**

> Also on [tumblr.](http://incogneat-oh.tumblr.com/post/15283384325/not-guilty-sir-drabble)


End file.
